


you anchor me back down.

by maybesentient



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, also the space wolf getting pet, just some boys bein cute and supporting each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 17:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14958593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybesentient/pseuds/maybesentient
Summary: a gift to catnippackets on tumblr cause she mentioned something a bit like this on twitter and my heart went !!!!!!!





	you anchor me back down.

_ When all the world is spinning 'round  _

_ Like a red balloon way up in the clouds _

_ And my feet will not stay on the ground _

_ You anchor me back down _

**anchor, mindy gledhill**

 

The planet they’ve landed on comes in summertime shades of wheatgrass and cerulean, smears of pomegranate streaked across the sky as the sun sets low and heavy on the horizon. It’s a beautiful painting of a planet, and if Lance could he would sit on this hill for hours just to watch how it melts and changes in the light.

But it’ll be time to leave soon, and Lance doesn’t know when he’ll see a sunset next. They’ve been bouncing from galaxy to galaxy as they make their way back to Earth, but the stops are scarce nowadays. It might mean they’re getting closer to home, but there’s a worrisome part of Lance’s mind that tells him  _ maybe we’ll never get there _ .

“Lance?”

Lance sits up and sees Keith coming from behind Red, the space wolf Akira at his side. Momentarily breathless for some reason, Lance lets himself take in all of the details of Keith’s new look: Two years in that time-warped place has left him taller, once awkward mullet now long and more along the lines of handsome and unruly.

_ Handsome and unruly? Really? _ Lance shakes his thoughts away, moving to stand up. “Does someone need my help?”

“No.” Akira runs ahead of Keith, who walks leisurely toward the slant of the hill where Lance had been resting. Lance tries to school his dejected expression into his default smile as Keith continues. “Pidge and Hunk are working to fix a backup generator in Green, and Romelle and Coran are helping Allura clean up a spilled disaster in Blue.”

“And Shiro?”

Keith smiles softly, arms crossed. “Resting.”

Up close, the scar on Keith’s cheek looks even more red against his pale skin, and Lance desperately wants to ask about what really happened between him and Shiro. But he knows it’s not a conversation for now, and so he just nods his head and slowly sinks back to the soft orange-hued grass of this planet.

“I guess I’ll just… sit here then. Hoping I’ll see the sunset, actually.”

Keith stays standing for a moment, but as Akira makes his way back he eventually kneels to the ground. “Mind if I sit with you?”

“No, of course not,” Lance says quietly, pulling his legs up to his chest. Keith sits and crosses his legs, and Akira teleports directly into his lap. It’s hard for him to really sit comfortably in Keith’s lap but Keith doesn’t seem to mind the large mass of midnight blue fur smothering him. Lance can barely make out Keith’s face around Akira’s neck, but what he can see looks almost like a grin. Leaning over, Lance hesitates with his hand inches from Akira’s fur. “Can I pet him?”

Keith nods and Lance scoots closer to let his hands sink into Akira’s fur. It’s soft, a bit like running your hand through water. Akira rumbles at the touch and rolls his body until he’s laying half on top of Lance, and now Keith’s laughing smile is in full view and Lance--

Lance turns away, back to the sun. “Guessing you weren’t really needed either?”

“Well I’m not smart enough to keep up with Hunk a good day, much less Pidge, and I cause more mess than I’m able to clean up. And my mom is watching over Shiro so… Yeah, no one needs my assistance right now. But…” Keith sighs, leaning forward to try and find Lance’s gaze. “That’s not what you meant, is it?”

Lance scoffs. “When did you turn into a therapist, McMullet?”

Keith doesn’t rise to the insult: he just smiles, shaking his head. “I spent a lot of time with my mom, and it helped me open up more. Might do you some good, too.”

“Right…” Lance wants to leave it at that-- not say a word, move on-- but then Akira’s nose nudges against his hand and his mouth parts around words before he’s even realized he’s talking. “I just don’t really know what I offer this team anymore. When I was piloting Blue, it was easy to pretend I had a purpose, but… it’s all gotten so messed up, man. And then you left and I had to pilot Red and Matt showed up so Pidge and Hunk had him to do stuff with and Allura had Lotor but now she’s got Romelle and they’re always hanging out and Coran’s off doing-- whatever Coran does and you’ve got Shiro back and now you’re mom and this  _ dog _ \--”

“Lance,” Keith says, voice low and soothing, and it’s enough to remind Lance to draw in a long breath. He stares out across the planet with wide eyes, praying to whatever’s out there that Keith can’t see the tears pricking up in the corners of Lance’s eyes.

“Sorry.”

Akira huffs as Keith moves closer to Lance, and Lance feels himself still at the sudden warmth of touch on his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter how many of us there are, Lance, we’re always going to need you to be a part of us. Voltron  _ needs _ you. I need you.” Lance’s breath catches, dissipates. “I mean, you’re my right hand man, right?”

“Right,” Lance whispers.

“And I know that Pidge and Hunk don’t mean to be pushing you out, but if you ever need something to distract you from them, I’ve heard you’ve gotten pretty good with a sword.” Keith chuckles. “I wouldn’t mind showing you how it’s done.”

“Oh please,” Lance laughs, shaking his head. “I’ve already got it down, but thanks.”

“Sure.”

They sit in silence for a moment, before Lance glances over at Keith and nudges his shoulder. “Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem.” Keith scratches behind Akira’s ear, eyes closed against the sunlight as he laughs. “Let’s just hope you don’t forget  _ this _ bonding moment, though.”

Lance feels his eyes widen as he turns away, a slow heat crawling up his neck.

_ Soft light catches in Keith’s gray-violet eyes, his grip warm and strong as he pulls Lance to his knees. The air smells like burnt plastic and grime, but all Lance can bring himself to focus on is how  _ worried _ Keith looks.  _

_ “We did it. We make a good team.” _

_ There’s hesitation, at first, but then Keith’s mouth curls into a warm smile and that’s all Lance remembers as he feels himself tumbling forward and then down into nothingness. _

“Keith, I--”

“Keith!” The two of them turn in unison toward the top of the hill, where Pidge is jumping up and waving one arm in the air. “Keith, I need you to come help Hunk lift up this panel cover.”

“I’ll be right there!” Keith shouts in reply, pushing Akira off until the big space wolf goes barrelling after Pidge. As he stands he looks down at Lance, head tilted in confusion. “You-- Were you going to say something?”

_ “We did it. We make a good team.” _

“No.” Lance smiles, shaking his head. “I’ll rate the sunset for you on a scale of ten. Doubt you’ll miss anything.”

“Okay…” Keith starts to walk away, before pausing again. “I meant it. I’m always free to spar, now that we don’t have the training bot.”

Lance nods and then Keith finally walks away to join the others. The sun is lower now, pomegranate becoming a deeper wine red, and he pulls his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees as he watches the sun creep lower and lower, and tries to think about  _ home _ .

_ Soft light catches in Keith’s gray-violet eyes-- _

**Author's Note:**

> i apologize if this seems a tad bit ooc i kinda rushed this and there's very little editing done i'm kinda just word vomiting it out into the world but i hope you enjoy nonetheless <3


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